The Royal Family goes hydroelectric

It's not easy greening the Queen. Several attempts to set up alternative energy sources for Windsor Castle have failed due to lack of funding. But today a British company is completing the installation of a $2.7 million hydroelectric installation that will power the royal residence plus 300 homes.

The Telegraph reports that "the Queen was unable to install the turbines herself," which is a pretty hilarious image, but Windsor Castle will be buying its electricity from the company that owns the installation instead of from the conventional power grid. This will save money, which seems a little silly for a family that owns approximately one squillion dollars' worth of precious gems, but if I'm understanding the perks of monarchy correctly at least some of that utility bill was being footed by taxpayers. And it will save about 871 tons of carbon a year.